The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup has announced that FC Dallas Youth has become the new Host Club of the prestigious international youth soccer tournament as part of a multi-year agreement. As Host Club, FC Dallas Youth will provide the tournament with the core of its volunteer base.

The Dallas Cup, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014, has relied heavily on volunteers from the North Texas soccer community to help grow its reputation as one of the most elite youth tournaments in the world. In all, more than 1,000 volunteers are needed each year during tournament week to ensure its smooth operation.

“FC Dallas has one of the preeminent youth academies in the nation and the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup is thrilled to partner with them to supply the tournament with a strong volunteer base,” said Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Executive Director, Andy Swift. “Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the tournament, and thanks to their famous Texas hospitality, the Dallas Cup has been able to provide its participants the best and most unique tournament experience possible for 35 years. We look forward to working with FC Dallas and the families of their numerous teams to ensure we carry on with that tradition.”

Founded in 2005, FC Dallas Youth is the largest competitive youth soccer club in North Texas with more than 170 teams and 3,000 players in the DFW metroplex. Since 2009, more than 100 student athletes have graduated from the club and gone to universities to continue their soccer and academic careers. Over that same period, eleven home grown players have signed professional contracts with the FC Dallas first team to embark on a professional soccer career. In 2014, FC Dallas Youth will have 13 teams, representing each age group, participating in the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup.

“The entire FC Dallas family is very excited to become the newest Host Club of the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Tournament,” said FC Dallas President, Dan Hunt. “We as an organization have had a long standing relationship with this tournament which we consider to be one of the finest youth tournaments in the world, and now to be able to take that relationship to the next level is an absolute honor. We look forward to working with Andy Swift and the rest of the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup leadership to build on this wonderful event.”

FC Dallas becomes just the third Host Club in the tournament’s history, which was founded by the original Host Club, Texas Longhorns SC, in 1980. Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXV will run from April 13th through April 20th, 2014. Games will be played at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, the Classic League Soccer Complex at Richland College, and the new Elm Fork Athletic Complex in Northwest Dallas.